Magnetic pick-up game apparatus



Jan. 21, 1964 MERRILL 3,118,669

MAGNETIC PICK-UP GAME APPARATUS Filed March 6, 1962 Ae f F G. 2

F l G. 3

INVENTOR. LLOYD M ER R ILL ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 3,113,669 MA'GNETEC PltZK-UP GAME APPARATUS Lloyd l t Terrill, 76 Aurora Brive, Warwick, Rd. Filed Mar. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 177,853 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-1) lviy present invention relates to the toy art and more particularly to a novel construction of a space age game.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a toy which has educational features and teaches the youngster the solar system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple game which requires only a small degree of skill to play and at the same time has educational features.

A further object of the present invention is to provide 2. e ce educational game which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other obiects and advantageous features view my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

in the drawings,

H6. 1 a perspective view of a game or toy embodying my invention.

H6. 2 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the space r18. 3 is a section taken on line 33 on F16. 2.

Tere has been a considerable amount of interest in recent years in space travel. Most youngsters have very 'ie idea or" our universe. The toy of the present invenon is designed to provide a working knowledge of our planets requiring a small amount of skill to play the game. This is sufiicient to retain the youngsters interest in the game.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 1 provide a base or box having imprinted thereon the solar system including the path of the various planets 1.1. The outside of the area of the solar system may have imprinted thereon some of the better known constellations such as the big dipper 12. The game is played with a plurality of round metal discs 13 upon which the names of the various planets are imprinted. The discs 13 are positioned in their proper orbits as shown in FIG. 1.

The space capsule 14 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 may be made of any suitable materials such as wood but is preferably molded from plastic both for reduction in cost and for reduction in weight. The capsule 14 is shaped similarly to the standard known space capsule having an upper wide annular portion 15 and terminating in a straight lower end 16. The capsule is provided with a central vertical passageway '17. I now provide a permanent magnet in the form of a cylinder which is force fit into the passageway 17 as shown in FIG. 3 with the lower end of the magnet extending from the lower end of the portion 16 of the capsule. The balance of the passageway 17 above the magnet 18 may be filled in with a weight producing slug of lead or with lead shot 19 and the opening is then plugged with a disc 26.

Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the capsule 14 is provided with an inverted U-shaped member 21 having its arms imbedded in the plastic material 14. An elongated li ti ice elastic thread 22 is attached to the member 21 which is centrally located so that the capsule is balanced at the end of the thread as shown in FIG. 1.

It will be found that with the above construction the weight of the capsule 14 at the end of the elongated elastic thread 22 produces a slow vertical reciprocation which can be started by gradually moving the hand slowly up and down. The weighted capsule will swing slowly downwardly reaching the end of the elastic limit of the thread 22 and then upwardly again. by standing over the box it the person playing the game can pick out a particular planet and then attempt to have the capsule pick it oil the box. The magnet 18 is of such strength and so constituted that it will pick up the particular disc 13 only if it comes down directly upon it. After a few tries a certain skill will be acquired in allowing the capsule to reach its lowest position right over the surface of the box. By slowingly moving it around any particular planet can thus be picked up by the capsule. The box '19 may be provided with a side compartment 23 for retaining the parts for shipment.

I have thus provided a simple and easily manufactured game which permits a young person to develop a small amount of skill in playing but at the same time teaches him the solar system and the position of the various planets around the sun. The game is easy and economical to manufacture and assemble. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising a board, a plurality of steel discs loosely disposed on said board, and a magnetic member mounted at the end of an elongated elastic string for selectively picking up said discs, said magnetic member comprising a generally conical member, said member having a central axial opening, and a magnet in said opening extending from the small end or" said member, said member having lead shot disposed in said opening for weighting, said elastic string having a comparatively high degree of elasticity whereby a small manual movement at the free end will result in a slow vertical reciprocation of said weighted member.

2. A game apparatus comprising a board, a plurality of steel discs loosely disposed on said board, and a magnetic member mounted at the end of an elongated elastic string for selectively picking up said discs, said magnetic member comprising a generally conical member, said member having a central axial opening, and a magnet in said opening extending from the small end of said member, said member being weighted, said elastic string having a comparatively high degree of elasticity whereby a small manual movement at the free end wfll result in a slow vertical reciprocation of said weighted member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,159,882 Zipfel Nov. 9, 1915 1,257,G45 Stotler Feb. 19, 1918 1,509,873 Ordway Sept. 30, 1924 1,514,260 Rees Nov. 4, 1924 1,695,624 Welpley Dec. 18, 1923 2,264,787 Barnett Dec. 2, 1941 

2. A GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A BOARD, A PLURALITY OF STEEL DISCS LOOSELY DISPOSED ON SAID BOARD, AND A MAGNETIC MEMBER MOUNTED AT THE END OF AN ELONGATED ELASTIC STRING FOR SELECTIVELY PICKING UP SAID DISCS, SAID MAGNETIC MEMBER COMPRISING A GENERALLY CONICAL MEMBER, SAID MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL AXIAL OPENING, AND A MAGNET IN SAID OPENING EXTENDING FROM THE SMALL END OF SAID MEMBER, SAID MEMBER BEING WEIGHTED, SAID ELASTIC STRING HAVING A COMPARATIVELY HIGH DEGREE OF ELASTICITY WHEREBY A SMALL MANUAL MOVEMENT AT THE FREE END WILL RESULT IN A SLOW VERTICAL RECIPROCATION OF SAID WEIGHTED MEMBER. 